•  
  •  
 

Author Bio

Martina Caretta is a doctoral candidate in the International and Multicultural Education (IME) program at the University of San Francisco. Her research explores the Environmental Promise and Paradox of Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development, investigating how AI can be leveraged in more sustainable ways to advance environmental sustainability goals. Martina holds a Master's degree in Global Studies from USF and a Bachelor's degree in Linguistic Sciences from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy. Alongside her doctoral work, she serves as an Assistant Residence Director for Fromm Hall at USF.

Abstract

Human rights are often presented as universal moral principles, yet their protection remains deeply uneven across political, social, and institutional contexts. This raises important questions: are human rights truly universal, or have they become utopian in practice? At their core, human rights can be understood as the minimum conditions required for a dignified human life. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, following the atrocities of World War II, the international community has expressed a shared commitment to a world free from hunger, violence, and oppression, and grounded in access to healthcare, education, and security (Carey, Gibney, & Gohdes, 2025). However, despite their central role in international law, basic human rights continue to be violated across regions and countries. This gap between universal ideals and lived reality prompts additional questions: why are human rights so often violated, who is responsible for protecting them, and under what conditions can accountability and prevention occur?

Download

Included in

Education Commons

Share

COinS